Advice on offshore hops instead of the ICW

[DeValency]

Originally Posted by drewcathell

No one has mentioned distances off shore or depths affecting the ease of travel for any of the hops. Has anyone found a depth or distance off shore that is worth using for any one leg or all legs.

Good point. I would stay at at least 700-1000 meters depth and even more around Cape Hatteras.

[tomtriad]

I believe I recommended that you follow the 10 fathom (60 foot) contour line around the Bay of Georgia from Frying Pan Shoals to the FL border. This puts you about 20 miles offshore, west (inside) of the Gulf Stream and away from most hazards, like the breakwater at Charleston. Also seas dont build up so high, and you can make port in a few hours if you need.

Once you cross the FL border stay inside the Gulf Stream which puts you 12 to 8 miles out as you get further south.

I usually sail a straight line from Block Island to Cape May NJ/Norfolk VA where I can stop for a break, evaluate the weather, and choose the ditch or around Hatteras. This rhumbline takes you about 100 miles out from NYC.

Cut straight across the shipping lanes and keep a good watch for traffic at NYC and Charlestown.

[tomtriad]

When rounding Hatteras pick your weather and stay in close to the beach, about 2-3 miles out. There is a counter current taking you south and well marked channel for big boats. I would not go out into or over the Gulf Stream.

After rounding head for Cape Lookout and Beaufort NC for a spell. If you come down the ditch exit at Beaufort. City docks come with showers and a loaner car for shopping.

[sck5]

You really dont want to be far out at all if you are southbound around Hatteras or you are fighting the Gulf Stream. I have done it, squeezing between the shoals and the GS and swore to never do it again - Much more relaxing and safe to go through the ICW to Beaufort and hop outside from there.

[AJ_n_Audrey]

Originally Posted by JasonS

We are on our way down now and arrived Jekyll Island Today:

Beaufort NC to Masonboro Inlet - Wrightsville Beach (we stopped in Carolina Beach as we prefer to Wrightsville)
Southport/cape Fear to Hilton Head. This is 190 miles and an overnight. However , you can stop at the following inlets if you want to do day sails.
Southport to Murrells
Murrells to Five Fathoms Creek
Five Fathoms Creek to Charleston or North Edisto
Charleston or North Edisto to Port Royal ( Hilton Head)
Tybee Roads (Hilton Head) to St Catherine’s Sound
We like the serene GA ICW and went inside from here t o Jekyll with an overnight along the way.
Jekyll to Cumberland - stay at one of the Cumberland anchorages
Cumberland to St Augustine
We stay inside after that but you could jump down to Cape Canaveral or longer down to Jupiter/Palm Beach/Boca Raton/Hillsboro/Ft Lauderdale/Miami

Good luck and enjoy. Feel free to follow our travels at Facebook.com/breathesaildive

Jason

Not sure what the OP's draft is, but I draw 5.5 feet, and I would not go into Murrells.

[BBill]

You can get day to day reports for the west side of the gulfstream. It's a moving target and doesn't stay in the same place every day. For a 30' sailboat off Canaveral the west side is about 20 miles. At Ft Pierce around 5-6 miles and 1-2 miles south.

I've seen northbound current 1.5 - 2 miles outside Ft Pierce inlet...and just off the beach at Ft Laud. The only sure thing is to start hugging the coast at Ft Pierce.

[Nahbrown]

Do what you can to skip the Georgia ICW. Due to “reasons” that belong in the confessional thread traveled we had to travel from Brunswick to Savanah GA using the ICW. Stressful is the word for those two days. Hells gate and another area (both known to be among the worst parts of the east coaxt ICW) must be done high at tide but thats easy to plan for. We draft 4.5 with a 25ft beam and that is what made traversing the GA ICW stressful. There were plenty of narrows or at places where at least the depth area was narrow.

Of course navionics is mostly useless except for as a general roadmap of where to turn. Do not trust your chart depths and go by visual and gauges only. On and it snakes back and forth so it takes longer than it should.

The horseflies were thick as well


Basically I hate the GA ICW!

[mjscottinnc]

Originally Posted by Nahbrown

Do not trust your chart depths and go by visual and gauges only. On and it snakes back and forth so it takes longer than it should.



Basically I hate the GA ICW!

I’ll second that, half way through South Carolina I threw away the guide books and started using depth sounder alone. Never had an issue while following the depths.